


in the aftermath of the flood

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Big Brothers, Brother Feels, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Chatlogs, Chatting & Messaging, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Devotion, Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hugs, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Jewish Headcanons, Little Brothers, Love, Loyalty, Major Illness, Medical, Medical Conditions, Men Crying, Modern Era, No Incest, Past Character Death, Platonic Cuddling, Seizures, Texting, Trauma, Whump, anyway, i guess ?????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24283201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: snapshots surrounding echo's meningitis and recovery.
Relationships: 99 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch, CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & CT-7567 | Rex, Dogma & CT-5385 | Tup, Jango Fett & Clone Troopers
Comments: 27
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23512726) by [emrys (livingshitpost)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys). 



Rex had been awoken with a start to Hevy shouting for him to wake up, shaking his shoulders violently. A quick slap across the face had pulled him quickly from sleep. Fives was talking — rambling, really, a mile a minute and completely incoherent through hiccuping, screaming sobs.

"Wha's goin' on?" Nate demanded, sitting up blearily across the room. "The fuck happened?"

"ECHO!" Fives managed, still choking on his own voice. Cody stumbled from his bed and tried to get his attention to calm him down.

"Echo?" Rex's heart pounded in his chest. He all but shoved Hevy out of the way as he ran through the dark house to Fives and Echo's shared bedroom.

Adreneline was already pumping through him. He vaguely remembered his first aid training; Hevy helped him track the time, despite his shaking hands, and called the hospital so he didn't have to watch his brother convulse.

"Ori'vod?" Tup's eyes were wide. "Is- Is he-?"

"He's gonna be fine," Dogma assured his twin. His voice shook. "K'olar. Kot'ika said to wait in the living room."

Rex watched helplessly, listening to Echo's shallow, rapid breaths and watching as his eyes twitched just underneath his eyelids. There was a faint, foul smell. It felt like a second. It felt like a year.

Kix woke up when the sirens didn't stop. The house was in a frenzy and Fives was screaming _don't take him, don't take him_ while Hevy held his brother tightly against his chest.

"Go," Cody said simply. "I'll handle the vod'ike."

Rex nodded. Echo's seizure had stopped, but he wasn't awake, and he was only sixteen. Jango wasn't there. Someone had to go with him. _Rex_ had to go with him. "I'll keep you posted."

Cody had known Rex all his life; with Bly already moved out, they were the oldest. They only had each other to confide in. He didn't trust himself to speak without breaking. He nodded.

"What about Jesse and Hardcase?" Dogma asked quietly. "They're still-"

"We'll call Bly later," Nate told him. "Boba too. But for now, they need their sleep." He was leaning heavily against the wall.

"Nate-"

"I'm fine." It was as close to a snap as Nate got. He staggered over to the couch and sat down. "C'mere."

Dogma sat on the floor to lean against Nate's leg. Tup all but crawled into his lap. Fives, whose cries were quieting, though his shoulders still shook, curled against his other side, and tried to smile when Tup took his hand. Hevy sat just behind Fives, leaning against his back in a hug. Kix settled against Nate's other side, and Cody managed to squeeze in beside him on the already overfull couch.

Surrounded by his brothers, Fives let out another sob.

"I don't want him to die."

Nate sighed slowly, shakily. "I know, vod'ika. I know."

Cody reached around to put a hand on Fives' shoulder. _He won't_ , he wanted to say, but couldn't make himself form the words. He didn't want to risk lying.

The eight of them sit there for a while, crying and hoping for the sake of their brother.


	2. Chapter 2

"She said if we want him to make it through this, our best option is to amputate." Rex sighed. "Dad told her to do it."

"Shit." Cody's voice was thin. 

"Yeah. He's on his way; he got emergency leave." Rex sniffled. "Cody?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too." Cody paused. "But, hey. He's in good hands. They're gonna do whatever it takes, okay?

Rex nodded. "Yeah. I know." He sighed again. "How are the vod'ike?"

"Managing." Cody glanced into the living room from the kitchen, keeping his voice low. "Fives has calmed down some, but he's still pretty shaken up. He and Hevy pretty much haven't let go of each other since you left. Nate, too. Tup's trying to get Dogma to talk, but we all know that's not gonna work for a while. Kix is- hang on." Cody moved the phone away from his head. "Kix! Get off WebMD!"

"I'm not _on_ WebMD! It's Mayo!"

"Then get off Mayo!"

Rex managed a laugh. "Researching every bad thing it could possibly be?"

"Yeah. Driving me crazy with it, too."

"Doctor said it's meningitis."

"Fuck." Cody ran a hand down his face. "Listen. It's not- None of this is your fault, okay?"

"Dad already gave me that talk."

"Yeah, 'cause he knows you blame yourself for every fucking bad thing that happens. At least pin some blame on me too, okay?"

"No; _I_ was supposed to be taking care of Echo. You had to deal with everyone else."

"That doesn't change the fact that-!" Cody groans. "Look. Whatever happens-"

"Don't fucking talk like that."

"I'm just _saying_ , Rex. Don't beat yourself up too bad. It's not gonna help." He leans against the counter. "Try to get some rest. We'll do the same, and see if we can manage a visit in the morning."

"Yeah. Okay."

"I love you. We all do."

"I know. I love you too."

Cody flopped back onto the couch as he reentered the living room. He plucked Kix's phone from his hands and set it on the coffee table.

"Rude."

"Shut up."

Fives looked up at Cody, glassy-eyed and trembling. "Is Echo okay?"

"He's in surgery right now," Cody replied. "He has meningitis, but it's not too late. They're gonna do everything they can to help him. Okay?"

"He's gonna be fine," Nate said softly. He rubbed up and down Fives' arm and pressed their foreheads together. "We all are."

Fives choked out a sob. "I don't wanna lose him."

"I know, Fiv'ika." Cody sniffled. He reached out to pet his little brother's hair. "It's gonna be okay. We can go see him in the morning. Dad'll be there. That sound good?"

Fives nodded. He clutched Nate a bit closer.

Nate shut his eyes tight. Cody could see him fighting tears and put a hand on his shoulder to give a comforting squeeze. Nate tried to smile in response, nuzzling his hand with his cheek.

"I know we should try to get some more sleep," Dogma murmured, "but I don't want to go back to bed," He looked up at his older brothers. "Can we just stay here?"

Cody nodded. "Sure thing, buddy."

"Can we watch a movie?" Tup asked.

"Yeah. Why don't you go pick one, huh?"

For once, nobody complained as their youngest brother put on Moana for the second time that week. The familiar Māori words soothed them enough for their eyes to drift shut, one by one, all snuggled together in a pile on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be more rex-centric, but then my fucKING LAPTOP CRASHED so that's gonna. have to wait a lil bit-


	3. Chapter 3

Jango sighed as he entered the hospital room. Rex was asleep; curled up in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to Echo's bed. He stirred slightly when he heard his father's footsteps.

"Buir," he croaked. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot. He got to his feet and stumbled into Jango's arms.

"Ni olar," Jango murmured, stroking Rex's back. Rex hunched over to bury his face in his father's neck. His shoulders trembled. "It's gonna be okay."

"I'm sorry," Rex whispered. He sniffled, wiping his eyes and nose on his wrist. "I'm sorry. I fucked it all up."

"Hey. I'm not mad. It's okay. Doctor Che said he's stable now; he's on antibiotics. He just needs to recover. He's gonna be fine. We'll get him through this."

"I was supposed to be taking care of him." Rex's voice was several octaves higher than usual. "I fucked up. He almost _died_."

"But he didn't. He's gonna be okay."

"It's all my fault."

"Hey. Don't say that." Jango pulled back and cupped his son's cheeks. "I shouldn't have left while he was sick. It wasn't fair to you." He kissed his forehead. " _I'm_ sorry, Rex. And I know you are too, but I've already forgiven you."

"I forgive you, too." Rex pressed his forehead against Jango's. "Codes and the guys are gonna come visit once he's more settled in," he whispered. He didn't want to acknowledge that he still had to forgive himself. "They already told Bly and Boba. Bly brought Hardcase and Jesse back home and they're all hanging out there. Boba's still in Japan."

"What about Echo?"

"He's been in and out, but I don't think he's been lucid. Kept talking nonsense." Rex's knees buckled, and Jango brought him to sit down. "Didn't seem like he was in pain, though. Just tired."

Jango nodded. "And you?"

"Wh-" Rex sniffled. "What about me?"

"Did you get any actual rest?"

"I'm fine."

"Rex."

Rex didn't respond, just turned to watch Echo sleep. His chest rose and fell, his breathing helped along by the cannula under his nose, and the heart monitor beeped steadily. Rex took his hand and held it, careful not to jostle the intravenous drip too much.

Jango sighed. "Head out into the waiting room. Take a nap."

"Dad-"

"That's an order." Jango's gaze was hard. He softened it before he spoke again. "Please. You need one. I'll keep an eye on him."

The young man was hesitant to obey. "You'll let me know if anything happens, right?"

"Of course I will. Now go on."

Once Rex was out of the room, Jango collapsed into the chair. He held his son's hand gingerly, murmuring a prayer for his health, as tears started to fall down his cheeks.

"Last time you were in a hospital," he said softly, "it was the day you were born. We didn't know you were coming. We thought Fives was just big." He laughed. "And he was, considering. But then you came, too." He pet Echo's dark curls and kissed his forehead. "You were so small. You weren't breathing properly. I was scared you weren't gonna make it, if I'm honest. That you'd- That you'd die with your mother. But you were so _strong_ , Ek'ika. You never gave up." He sniffled. "I know you can make it through this. I _know_ you can. _Please_."

Echo didn't respond, but his breathing never faltered. 


	4. Chapter 4

Only three people were allowed into Echo's room at a time. Jango stepped into the waiting room to give each of his sons a hug before any of them entered.

"Dad," Fives whispered, "is he awake?"

"No, Fiv'ika. He needs a lot of sleep."

Fives licked his lips. "Okay."

"Do you still-"

"Yes."

"Alright."

Fives took a deep breath to steady himself. He held Hevy and Nate's hands tightly.

Echo looked tiny in the hospital bed. He'd always been slightly smaller than his twin, but this was different. He was paler than usual. His legs stopped just above where his knees had been, and were kept elevated by pillows. The same was true for his right arm, which came to an end a couple of inches past his elbow. He hadn't been eating properly, despite Rex's insistent servings of soup and crackers and rice, and his cheeks were shallow. His collarbones were visible under his gown. He breathed slowly and rhythmically. 

Fives started to choke on a sob, but fought to push through it without crying out. He sat beside his brother and held his hand.

"You're gonna be okay," he breathed. "I'm here. I'm right here."

Echo stirred somewhat, but didn't open his eyes. "Dad?" He mumbled weakly.

"It's me, vod. It's Fives. I've got you." Fives' voice cracked. "I've got you."

Echo managed a small smile. 

Nate sat on Echo's bed, propping his cane against it. "How're you feeling?"

Echo grunted. "Tired." He shuddered slightly, his lower lip starting to quiver. "Sore." His voice was thin.

"Should we get a nurse?" Hevy asked.

"No. Stay." Echo squeezed Fives' hand. Fives squeezed back. "Please."

"Okay, Echo." Fives wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I'll stay right here, okay?"

"'Anks." Echo's face started to slacken as he fell asleep again.

Fives fought to stay quiet, holding Echo's hand to his forehead as his shoulders shook. "'Course," he choked. "Don't mention it."

About ten minutes passed. Hevy put a hand on Fives' shoulder.

"Nate and I are gonna head out," he said. 

"I'm staying here," Fives told him. "I told him I'd stay with him." _I can't leave him._

"Sure. We'll let the guys know." He gave his brother a hug. "He's gonna be okay, Fives."

"Yeah. He's gonna be fine. Has to be." _I can't lose him._

Nate knelt down in front of his brother before he left. "You gonna be okay?"

Fives nodded. "Yeah. I-I will be." _If he is._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a more lighthearted chatfic chapter between nate and his fave cousins uwu ,,,, trust me tho there's still plenty of angsty shit to come >:3c

grandpa: so

grandpa: it's not _great_

grandpa: but he's not dead

grandpa: so we've got that

hackerman: -hugs-

grandpa: :pensive: ty,,

hunty: poor kid

hunty: maybe we can come up there and visit

wreck it ralph: pleathe,,,,, :pray::pray::pray:

hunty: i'll talk to mum abt it

crossfire: wbu nate?

grandpa: ?

crossfire: u holdin up ok?

grandpa: yeah i'm fine

grandpa: relatively

grandpa: i'm used to hospitals so /shrug

crossfire: jst makin sure

crossfire: cuz i . Hate Them

hunty: we know crosshair

wreck it ralph: we know crosshair

crossfire: :middle_finger:

crossfire: fine i jst won't show emotions smh

grandpa: cross nooooo :-(

grandpa: guys don't bully him he's fragile

grandpa: like. i could kick his ass. Me

crossfire: this is jst more bullying ?????

hackerman: he's right though

crossfire: WHATEVER yall suck anyway

grandpa: uwu

wreck it ralph: ok really though . is the kid gonna be okay?

wreck it ralph: like is this a "fuckin haul ass Or Else" kinda deal or

grandpa: i mean . no he's holding up okay

grandpa: slowly starting to get better and all that

grandpa: but still definitely haul ass i haven't seen you fuckers in like a year

grandpa: :knife:

hackerman: fair point

grandpa: also. @crossfire it uh. It Looks Like Our Disabled Duo Just Became A Small Squad

crossfire: :fist::pensive:

crossfire: we will welcome him w open arms,,

wreck it ralph: rude???? we were already a squad you two just like to exclude me

grandpa: LKSDJFLKJ

grandpa: would you believe me if i said i forgot :pleading_face::point_right::point_left:

hackerman: N A T E

hunty: [Attachment: funky_music_stops.jpg]

wreck it ralph: this server is a fucking nightmare

grandpa: IN MY DEFENSE

crossfire: rifp wrecker

hackerman: can't believe grandpa's finally going senile :pensive::sob:

grandpa: ITS BEEN LIKE A YEAR

grandpa: SHUT UP TECH :gun:

[hunty pinned a message to this channel.]

grandpa: STOP BULLYING ME :sob::sob::sob:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes They Are Using Discord


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "why is hevy here bt not droidbait n cutup" haha. hahahahahahahahAHAHAHAHAHA-

Rex stood in the hallway, his shoulders shaking, and fell into his brother's arms.

"It's my fault," he breathed. "It's my fault. He could've died. He almost _did_. He _still might_. Cody, I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself if he does. I _can't_."

"Rex. Rex, listen to me." Cody forced Rex to look at him, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands. " _Nasreyc_. Come on. This isn't helping."

Rex wouldn't look at his brother. He glared half-heartedly at a small chip in the paint on the wall.

Cody sighed. He pulled his twin into another hug and held him close. "He's gonna be fine," he said sternly. "Doctor Che said he's as stable as he can be. He's already starting to respond to the antibiotics. He's gonna be _fine_. He's just as stubborn as the rest of us; he'll make it through this. We'll help him. But you can't keep blaming yourself. You're my closest brother; I hate seeing you tear yourself up like this."

"I just- I can't even imagine- What if it was one of us? What if I was the one in that hospital bed, fucking _inches_ away from dying?"

"Then I'd be telling myself the same fucking thing. Wallowing isn't gonna _help_. All we can do is be there and hope for the best. Remember after Nate's stroke? It _sucked_. But we got through it, because we stuck together. It's the same now." Cody squeezed his brother tightly. "None of us blame you."

"But what if _he_ does?"

"Rex, you're the one who took control. You called Dad. You saved his life. He's not gonna blame you."

Rex was quiet for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut. "But I do."

Cody sighed. "I know, Rex. Your name is _determined_ for a reason. You're a stubborn motherfucker."

Rex managed a laugh at that. "You know it."

"But so am I. And I'm gonna beat the shit outta you if you don't ease up on yourself a little, yeah?"

Rex nodded slowly. "I'll try," he said. "But no promises."

"No, I want a promise."

"Cody-"

"I'm not letting go until I get it."

Rex rolled his eyes. "Fine. I promise I'll try."

"Gonna take it that's as much as I'm gonna get?"

"Yup."

"Again, stubborn motherfucker." Cody pulled away to press their foreheads together. "Love you, though."

"Yeah. Love you too."

* * *

Hevy leaned against Jango's shoulder.

"Dad," he said softly, "was it-?" He sighed. "Was it like this when Deb and Cuyete died?"

Jango sighed, wrapping an arm around his son and holding him close. "A little bit," he admitted. "Cuyete more than Deb. You two were as close as two babies could be. I could tell it hurt you when he got sick, even though you were only a few days old."

Hevy wrapped his father in a hug. "I don't wanna lose another brother," he whispered.

"I know you don't. None of us want that." Jango kissed the top of Hevy's head. "I'm sorry it's so hard for you."

"Tell me he's gonna be okay."

"Hevy, Echo's gonna be just fine. We'll take him home as soon as we can. I promise."

Hevy nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course, Hev'ika."


	7. Chapter 7

After eight and a half hours at the hospital, even Fives was starting to doze off at his twin's bedside. 

"Fiv'ika," Jango whispered, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to get going."

Fives rubbed his eyes. He didn't let go of Echo's hand. "I don't want to," he told his father. "I told him I'd stay."

Jango nodded. "I know. But he's been asleep for almost five hours; who knows when he's gonna wake up next."

"Exactly." Fives glanced up at his father, his dark eyes glassy. "I can't leave him. He needs me."

Jango sighed. "They can't let you stay. You're underage. It's a legal liability."

"But . . ." Fives let out a shaky breath, turning back to Echo's sleeping form. "I _can't_. It'd be our first night apart in . . . Ever, really."

"I know." Jango knelt to wrap an arm around Fives' shoulders. "I know it's hard." He sighed again. "They said I could stay overnight if I wanted. I could set up a video call so you two can hear each other through the night. Is that okay?"

Fives sobbed harshly. "I _promised_ him, Dad. I promised I wouldn't leave him."

"I'm sure he'll understand." Jango took both of Fives' hands, with Echo's hand clasped between them, and gave a gentle squeeze as he nuzzled Fives' head with his own. "I'll make sure he stays safe. Don't worry. He knows you love him. And you can come visit again in the morning, okay?"

It took a long moment for Fives to nod and let go of his brother's hand. "K'oyacyi, Echoy. I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning."

Echo shifted, his head turning slightly. He mumbled something unintelligible.

"I know, vod. But it's just fifteen hours. It'll be okay."

Echo's face scrunched up. He opened his eyes and reached clumsily outward. "Vod? . . . Me'bana?"

"H-hey, it's okay. Go back to sleep. It's gonna be fine."

"Me'ven?" He struggled to push himself up onto his elbows.

"Udesii," Jango said firmly, putting a hand on Echo's shoulder. He couldn't help smiling a bit. "Su cuy'gar, ad."

"'Lek. Ni su'cuyi." Echo glanced around the dimly-lit room. "Me'bana?" He asked again. "Ni vaii?"

Jango sighed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fives was already taking Echo's hand again.

"You had a seizure," he said softly. "Rex brought you to the hospital." He licked his lips. "Do you remember anything?"

Echo grunted. "Scraps. 'S all fuzzy. Hurt, though."

"I know, vod. I'm sorry."

Echo chuckled. "Yeah. Whatever." He moved his right arm, reaching to hold Fives' hands in turn. His brow furrowed when the contact didn't come. "What . . ."

Fives' breath hitched. "Hey. Look at me."

"What the fuck . . ."

The beeping of Echo's heart monitor quickened. 

"Hey," Jango said, doing everything in his power to keep his voice steady. "It's gonna be okay."

Echo's eyes were wide with fear. His gaze jumped from Fives to Jango and back again. "What _happened_ to me?"

"You have meningitis," Fives told him. "They- They were infected. Septic. Too far gone."

"They?"

"Your arm and legs had to be amputated. I'm sorry, vod. I am. But you're gonna be okay, I promise."

Echo turned to his father. "Dad?"

Jango could only nod. "You would've died, otherwise," he said softly.

Echo shuddered as he started to cry. Fives stood and leaned over him, pulling him into as tight of a hug as he dared, while Fives clutched at the back of his shirt with his remaining hand. He buried his face in the crook of his twin's neck.

"You're gonna be okay," Fives breathed. "We're gonna get you through this. Swear it. Ori'haat."

Nate stepped into the room. "Dad," he said quietly. "Visiting hours end in five minutes. We have to go."

"I know, Nate." 

Nate approached slowly, then put his hand over Echo's on Fives' back. "We're here for you, vod'ika," he promised. "But we gotta leave. Hospital policy."

Echo looked up at his older brother. "All of you?"

"No," Jango assured him. "I'll stay the night with you, okay? But everyone else . . ."

"We'll be back tomorrow," Fives said softly, reluctantly pulling away from his twin's embrace. "We'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Echo took a moment before nodding. He pulled Fives in to touch their foreheads again. "Tomorrow," he said.

"Tomorrow," Fives replied. He leaned into the touch when Nate put a hand on his shoulder and gently pulled him close.

"Be good for your brothers, Fiv'ika," Jango said as they left.

Fives pulled out his phone as he got into the backseat of Rex's car with Hevy, Nate, Dogma, and Tup. Instead of calling, though, he sent a text to his father.

_call me when he falls asleep. i'll wait for him._


	8. Chapter 8

"Go on," Jango encouraged. "Talk to him."

Rex grumbled under his breath about Cody's betrayal for a moment.

"I don't wanna hear it, Nasreyc."

" _I don't wanna hear it, Nasreyc._ " Rex scoffed.

"Just go. Fives is already about to have a conniption 'cause he hasn't seen Echo yet today. But you need to talk to your brother. You've put it off long enough."

"Fine."

Echo looked up from his phone when he heard the door open. Some of the color had started to return to his cheeks over the past few days of his hospital stay, and he let out a relieved sigh when he saw the familiar buzzed head of bleach-blond hair.

"Dad told me to talk to you," Rex said flatly, sitting in the chair beside his brother's bed. He kept his gaze firmly on the ground in front of him.

"About?" The nerves in Echo's voice were obvious. 

"About what happened." Rex's voice was thick. His mouth drew into a thin line as he sighed. 

Echo hesitantly reached out to put a hand on Rex's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Why do you think we're here?"

"I got sick." Echo shrugged. "We didn't catch it in time."

" _I_ didn't catch it in time," Rex corrected. "Vod'ika, you- you almost _died_. You were so close to it." He forced himself to stand in an attempt to distract himself from the way his chin was trembling. "This is my fault. And I'm sorry."

Echo didn't respond. His shoulders turned inward as he slouched. He picked idly at the blanket laid over him. "It's not your fault," he muttered.

"It is."

"No it's not. You didn't know."

"I knew you were sick. I didn't take you to the doctor. I was neglectful and _stupid_ and it almost cost you your life." He sighed. "It almost cost us _you_."

"Fine. I mean, I guess. Whatever." Echo frowned. "Get over here."

Rex glanced over his shoulder at his little brother. There was a determined scowl on the teen's face, and he almost couldn't help smiling. He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

"Closer. Gimme your hand."

Rex rolled his eyes, but complied anyway. Echo's grip was surprisingly steady and firm.

"Shut the fuck up."

Rex snorted. "Seriously? That's how you're gonna go at it?"

"Yeah!" Echo laughed. "Bitch, Fives told me as soon as I woke up that you were the one who brought me to the hospital. Sure, I'm not . . . I'm pissed that it happened. But it did. And I don't blame _you_ for it, di'kut."

"But-"

"Save it." He pulled his older brother's hand closer, adjusting his grip several times to pull him into a hug. "I'm the one who's crippled, here. Don't make me go and feel sorry for your dumb ass, 'cause I don't blame you for a fucking thing."

Rex sighed. He wrapped his arms around Echo and held him securely against his chest, nuzzling the left side of his head gently so as not to aggravate his still-stiff neck. "'M still sorry," he said softly, but there was a faint laugh in his voice.

"You're gonna have to speak up, vod. I can't hear outta that ear."

Rex squeezed a bit tighter. He cleared his throat. "I said I'm still sorry."

"Yeah, I know. Everyone is." He chuckled half-heartedly. "Just be a little nicer to my ori'vod, alright?"

"Which one?"

Echo smacked the back of Rex's head. "Di'kutla."

"Not much more than you are."

Echo gasped dramatically. "Rude!"

"You said to be nicer to your ori'vod. Didn't say anything about yourself."


End file.
